This invention relates to the field of electrical switches generally, and in particular to a rocker switch and lockout for selectively, releasably locking out the operation of the rocker switch.
In the prior art applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,420 to Piber which discloses a rocker switch locking attachment having a sliding member. The sliding member has interference ear portions located at both ends of the sliding member and an aperture adapted to receive a rocker switch pivot shaft which locks the slider in either a leftmost or rightmost position. The Piber patent does not disclose nor suggest the use of a cover mounted slider locking system such as found in the present invention and set out below.
The present invention is a switch cover locking device for a toggle or rocker arm-type switch. The device includes a sliding locking arm. The sliding arm may be slid relative to the toggle switch so as to block and thereby to prevent the toggle or rocker arm switch, herein referred to generically as a rocker plate, from pivoting. A notched locking mechanism is adapted to receive a detent from the locking arm so as to lock the locking arm in either a forward, rearward, or neutral locked position.
In summary, the switch lockout and rocker switch of the present invention includes a switch cover, a rocker plate, a base, and a lockout slide. The rocker plate has opposite first and second ends, and is pivotally mounted to the cover. The rocker plate is thus pivotable about a pivot axis between oppositely tilted first and second tilted positions. The slide is selectively translatable relative to the base, being slidably mounted on the base for translation of the slide in a slide direction perpendicular to the pivot axis so as to slide relative to the rocker plate between a first lockout position and second lockout position.
The first end of the rocker plate is spaced from the base when the rocker plate is in the first tilted position. The second end of the rocker plate is spaced from the base when the rocker plate is in the second tilted position.
The lockout slide includes oppositely disposed first and second interference bars. The interference bars are slidable so as to
a) sandwich the first interference bar between the first end of the rocker plate and the base when the lockout slide is in the first lockout position, and
b) sandwich the second interference bar between the second end of the rocker plate and the base when the lockout slide is in the second lockout position.
The first interference bar thus protrudes into a path of motion of the first end of the rocker plate when in the first lockout position, and the second interference bar protrudes into a path of motion of the second end of the rocker plate when in the second lockout position. Thus, in the first lockout position, the first end of the rocker plate is selectively releasably locked into an elevated position relative to the base, and, in the second lockout position, the second end of the rocker plate is selectively releasably locked into an elevated position relative to the base.
Advantageously, the first and second interference bars are spaced apart a distance greater than the length of the rocker plate measured the entire length between the first and second ends of the rocker plate. The lockout slide is thus selectively translatable into either the first lockout position or the second the lockout position or a neutral position wherein neither the first nor the second interference bars are in their respective lockout positions and the rocker plate may be freely pivoted about the pivot axis.
In one embodiment the lockout slide may include a pair of elongate members extending in the slide direction oppositely disposed on either side of the rocker plate, opposite ends of the pair of elongate members rigidly mounted to corresponding ends of the first and second interference bars. Advantageously then the base extends around a circumferential edge of the cover so as to extend along either side of the rocker plate. A pair of guides are mounted to the base oppositely disposed on either side of rocker plate so as to guide the elongate members when sliding in the slide direction.
The cover has a primary aperture. The rocker plate is pivotally mounted in primary aperture. The cover has at least one slot therein adjacent the primary aperture and aligned both parallel to the slide direction and over a corresponding elongate member of the pair of elongate members when the cover is mounted on the base. At least one push button may be mounted onto the corresponding elongate member so as to extend from the elongate member through the corresponding slot. The slot is elongate parallel to the slide direction so that biasing the button along the slot to an end of the slot opposite from the first end of the rocker plate biases the first interference bar into the first lockout position. Conversely, biasing the button along the slot to an end of the slot opposite from the second end of the rocker plate biases the second interference bar into the second lockout position. A pair of such slots may be oppositely disposed on either side of the primary aperture, a pair of buttons mounted on the pair of elongate members so as to protrude through the pair of slots.
The elongate members may be elevated above the base by elevating means so as to elevate at least a portion of the elongate members adjacent the buttons above the base. The elongate members may be resiliently deflectable where so elevated so that the buttons may be depressed to thereby release a selectively releasable latch means for locking the lockout slide in the first lockout position or the neutral position or the second lockout position, so that the lockout slide may be selectively translated relative to the base. The elevating means may be shim means mounted between the lockout slide and the base, for example rigid shims mounted to the base. The shims may be at least a pair of shims at opposite ends of each of the elongate members so as to elevate substantially the entire length of the elongate members above the base.
The rocker plate may be pivotally mounted to the cover by at least one shaft member extending from the cover into the primary aperture. The primary aperture is sized to snugly receive the rocker plate therein, and the shaft member may be an opposed facing pair of stub shafts or pins.
The guides may be channels, each having therein an array of notches. The latch means may include a pin extending from each button so as to mate into a notch in the array of notches when the button is released and the elongate member urges the pin into engagement with a corresponding notch of the array of notches. Depressing the button drives the pin from the notch as the elongate member deflects towards the base, thereby allowing the sliding translation of the elongate member in the slide direction to align the pin with a different the notch in the array of notches.